To be annoyed with people looking in my window!

[minesapintofwine]

I live in a terraced house without a front yard, so the front door opens straight onto the pavement. Have lived here since 2003 but only now getting a bit pissed off.

Normally during the day I'm up and about until the evening so don't notice it but this week I have ds off school unwell so spending more time sitting down. The amount of people who look into my house is unreal! Now I'll admit when I walk my dog I can't help but glance into warm cosy houses but I promise I don't peer like these people do!

In the last half hour I've had two full on nosy ones and the bin man had a good look too!

Last week ffs I saw a little girl up against the window with her hands cupped watching the tv!

I have got Venetian blinds which are tilted a bit. So what is the answer? I don't like nets, don't want to close blinds against the daylight. Do I need to rearrange my furniture? Stop wearing pyjamas downstairs?

Aibu to be so irritated or should I just accept its human nature to have a look. Does anyone do this? Or have it happen to them?

I was thinking of posting something very similar. We live in a matchbox semi and there is a garden in front of our window before the pavement but everyone looks in. I don't mind the ones looking to see the dogs (the children wave and some adults do too) but others just peer right in (there is a difference in behaviour between the doggy hunters and the nosy buggers) I've not been feeling well lately and people can see me lying on the sofa which is embarrassing. I should be able to lie on my sofa if I want but not with spectators. It's a very dark room so Venetian blinds aren't much good and I despise net curtains. I think the window stickers would look tacky - so I'll have to put up with it. But what is wrong with people that they can't just walk past without peering in?

We bought a 3 storey house with massive windows, its fantastically light but terribly overlooked, I found people making eye contact with me when washing up most off putting so we got these www.247blinds.co.uk/origin-cream-day-night-blind

They are fab, let in the light, no one can see in.

If you have a windowsill, you could get some stained glass panels or, as I have done, buy some of those triple panel stained glass fire screens. They give me privacy (I live in the middle of a village), don't make it too dark & I'm mad about stained glass, so I would probably use them if I lived in the middle of a field.....

This is why I like having my living room at the back, my kitchens at the front and I have a huge bush no pun intended so anyone looking in would have to stand at an angle to have a good nosey.

Lots of people round here have frosted glass.

Make a sign that says Fuck off and mind your own business then hold it up, smiling and waving whenever someone looks in. Any children against the window, go out there and give them short shrift for being so rude.

I am so guilty of this in the evening when rooms are lit up. Especially when we were planning renovation in a terraced house and I could see how other people in the same style house had rearranged the rooms. So, because i know it's difficult not to do, we have the purlfrost film. People have often commented on how nice it is we still have the 'original' windows in. They aren't of course, they are double-glazed but it looks the part.

Round our neck of the woods lots of people put pretty things on their windowsills - model boats, bits of pottery, candles, plants, etc. When you walk past your eye is drawn to the things on the window sills rather than further into the room.

Giggorata - I like the stained glass idea.

There was a thread about cutout figures recently.

Buy a Katie Price one and put in window.
It'll be over before you know it.

Im so glad I posted this. As a result Im going to look at voiles and put venetians in my kitchen, which is private (and I like them).

Blackbird I love nosing on rightmove but its different to looking in at people in their pyjamas as bloop said. It sort of feels uncomfortable.

Gigg I absolutely adore stained glass so beautiful I want some in my front door!

To the people who suggested tilting blinds up and out iyswim I tried it at your suggestions but the problem is the sun blazed through and dazzled us. I didnt like to say in case you all thought I was being a right whinger!

I am honoured to have pigletjohn post on my thread though

I saw these the other day and they might suit, they let plenty of light in but would mask the view from outside and the ones in the picture look really modern vision blinds

Bollock naked star jumps in the middle of the living room should do the trick

Elz those blinds are so clever- I like them!

ohbollocks thats the problem see I havent been able to do my naked star jumping today...

If you get the mirror foils you'll get people peering at themselves in the reflection.

You can paint your own stain glass design, I currently have rainbow squares.

We are on a walking route, and often have people at the end of our drive gathered having a chat, whilst randomly looking into our house. It's quite funny to see them jump when we ask over the gate intercom 'can I help you with anything?'

I have this problem - if I'm in the wrong mood I tilt my venetian blinds "the wrong way" so it blocks people's view totally. The disadvantage is that it also blocks the light quite a lot too (and my ability to people watch, especially when the parking warden has been...)

What I find more annoying are the people who find it funny to knock/bang on my window as they go past (I'm on quite a busy road). It's loud and it scares me and the cat and its not funny.

I know people are a bit 'ew' about net curtains and I have found your standard voile panels look just the same once they are hung, despite having a nicer name.. I bought some 'linen' look voile panels from Dunelm and am really pleased with them. I have big sash windows and have hung the panels at the opening height so the top is open and still gets plenty of light through, like this

Sorry crap link... www.thehouseofstewart.co.uk/page6.htm

Oh I give up! It looks nice anyway

things I was actually going to look at Dunelm for them.

I always wonder if shutters are a bit dark?

I found this happened when I had venetian blinds, people just stare right in and think you can't see them doing it! I hate it when I go out to take rubbish out to the bin and the wind blows the door ajar; I always notice people crook their necks to look right in. I am sure they think I can't see them or it is a case of they just don't care. However, they do look embarrassed when I say something about the fact they are being nosey! I deliberately don't stare into people's houses when I walk past because i know how rude it is!

I really consciously try not to look into houses like yours. I can see why it would bug you. I would go for the window film, there are some really lovely patterns, i was looking at them for one of my windows as i can't hang curtains up.
There were some lovely tree patterns and some lovely dandelion patterns. If you've got the cash and are worried about fitting it yourself any good sign writing company will be able to help.

YANBU. People are astonishingly nosy. Have thought this whenever I've lived in a house with a pavement or footpath outside. Some look as if they're going to dislocate their necks, they're that desperate to have a good nosy. I don't really get it TBH, and I don't do it myself, I think folks are entitled to privacy at least inside their own homes. We have venetian blinds at the front for this very reason, keeping them at a slight tilt allows plenty of light but means the bastards can't see in. We are rural, on a main road, and the pavement runs out on our side and continues across the road, but it's amazing how many folks are determined to walk in the mud and grass on our side, rather than cross over to the pavement across the road... If I see someone having a good stare, I wave at them in an exaggerated fashion, mouthing 'hello, hello' just to let them know I can see them. May be childish but makes me feel better!

these are the ones I have. I didn't gather them the way they have in the pic, I just have them hanging down 'flat'. They don't look particularly exciting in the pic but in RL they look just like linen.